Jukka Jokela (Medilaser-Specialized MTB Team) enjoyed the PA singletrack on his way to the Masters class victory

(Mike Bush)

Ernesto Marenchin (Pivot Cycles) pushes hard on his way to 3rd place in the Singlespeed class

(Bob Popovich)

The Cadre Racing Crew from NYC after the Penns Creek fiesta

(Bob Popovich)

The Wilderness 101, the East Coast's original endurance mountain bike event, offered up dominating performances from its champions in Saturday's event. State College local Vicki Barclay (Stan's NoTubes), men's open NUE standout Christian Tanguy (Team CF), the amazing singlespeeder Gerry Pflug (Team CF) and imported masters' racer, Finland's Jukka Jokela (Medilaser/Silmäkirugig/Specialized) ruled their categories while all participants raved about the return of the Wilderness 101 to its central Pennsylvania roots.

An accumulation of minor reroutes over the last four to five years had eliminated key pieces of singletrack from MountainTouring.com's original Wilderness 101. The temporary closure of one of the course's trademark turn of the century dark and rock strewn railroad tunnels had left promoter Chris Scott looking for a revamp of the course. The hundreds of miles of choice trails and gravel roads throughout the Rothrock and Bald Eagle forests and the rediscovery of an old logging rail grade were everything needed to craft a challenging and exciting new looking but old feeling course. The newly added singletracks of Ruff Gap, SassyPig, PigPile and Krumrine Trail and the challenging Flat Road, which is anything but flat and "road" only in the sense that it is wider than singletrack, brought back miles of missed tech riding and returned the course to the challenging central Pennsylvania nature that established it as one of the best 100s in the country.

Second place singlespeeder, Matt Ferrari (Freeze Thaw/Hubcap Cycles) said, "The Wilderness 101 is back to a central Pennsylvania course. Over the last five years, changes had to be made and this year's course brought it back to old school level, to classic rocks of central PA. A course has to balance tech and dirt roads and this course nailed it."

Accolades came from throughout the field from the front runners to those finishing hours later and from riders who were experiencing the course for the first time to those who had finished the 101 many times over. Long time endurance stalwart and many time 101 finisher Garth Prosser (Specialized) was one of these saying, "That's the way to make a course! The new singletrack is awesome!" In other words, the Wilderness 101 is back.

Men

In the men's race, Tanguay opened the festivities on the first climb in an effort to thin out the party. Though the initial surge was not enough to shed everyone, the lead group dwindled under his pressure until three riders, Tanguy, Dereck Treadwell (Dr. Naylor's Racing), and one other pulled away on the back to back climbs after aid station one. Tanguy was still able to forge a gap on his companions on the first singletrack of the event, central PA's classic Three Bridges Trail.

While he continued to build that lead to the end, he did so in what he described as an atypical way for him. "It was the reverse. I got away on singletrack and then they were gaining on me on the climb. Then in the next downhill, I pulled away. Then they gained again on the next climb. This is unusual for me!"

Tanguy also noted his pleasure in finally knocking off the Wilderness 101, "I have been coming here since 2007 and this is the first win for me!" said the racer who has been consistently the most dominant player in men's hundred mile races over the last several seasons.

Behind Tanguy, Treadwell was able to shake off all others until a flying Pflug rejoined him on the steep rock-strewn descent of Ruff Gap. The two were in close proximity over the ensuing 50 miles of course with Pflug again demonstrating how an SSer can mix it up at the front of the men's open field. Though these two separated themselves from the rest, Maine's Greg Jancaitis (Riverside Racing) wasn't about to give up.

Jacaitis found his power lacking on the early gravel climbs but, "The rough singletrack was a godsend. I couldn't keep up on the climbs, but I was moving through the field on the trails. I picked off five riders in the seven new miles of trails after aid three," said Jancaitis. Sitting in tenth place coming out of the third checkpoint, Jacaitis caught both Treadwell and Pflug in the final singletrack just four miles from the finish. With Treadwell not able to match him on this, the most technical trail of the day and Pflug's pedal body breaking free from its axle at almost the same time, the rider from Maine climbed all the way up into second place at the finish. Pflug crossed in third overall as first SSer and Treadwell came across the line fourth overall, third in men's open. Jesse Kelly (Team CF) continued his rise in the ranks with fourth in men's open with Mike Tobasco (DCMTB) in fifth.

State College's Matt Ferrari took home the coveted, "best local" prize with his ride to finish second in singlespeed while Toasted Head Racing's Dan Rapp continued his quest for an overall podium finish in the NUE singlespeed series by finishing third on the day.

Rapp said, "My skewer got knocked loose and I lost the lead the group and then hooked up with Ernesto [Marachin, SS (Pivot Cycles)] for the rest of the day. I really liked the new course and had even power throughout."

What left the normally loquacious Rapp a little at a loss for words was how to describe Pflug's dominance. "I don't know what to say about the guy, how to describe what he's doing. Another overall podium on a singlespeed. How do you beat the guy?" That's a question many singlespeed endurance racers are sure to be wondering. Marachin finished fourth in SS with Jake Colvin (Pedal Power CT) rounding out the top five.

Women

In the women's event, 101 record holder Vicki Barclay was back to defend her crown but found Kathleen Harding (Team CF) formidable opposition. "I pushed the pace early and Kathleen held tough and then she dropped me. I tried to stay positive, use my course knowledge and be patient" said Barclay.

"I knew the new pieces of the course because they were in the Trans-Sylvania Epic this spring, and I'm sure that was an advantage. I knew exactly where I was when no one else had seen the new bits. I caught back up to Kathleen on the Croyle descent and then gradually pulled away."

Arkansas' Priscilla Baltz is only two years into mountain bike riding at all, was racing in only her third hundred miler ever and is coming off a year spent recovering from a broken back sustained while learning technical riding skills. This former NRC road racer has taken to 100s quickly, "I was pack fodder in NRC racing, but when I got to mountain biking is was like, BAM!" In only her third attempt and on a course with many technically challenging segments, Baltz showed she is certainly a rider to watch. Behind Baltz came Melissa Mertz (Mountainside Racing) and Carla Williams (Joes Bike Shop).

Masters 50+

At the end of the day, a surprise winner stood atop the Master's 50+ podium. With recently crowned US National 50+ champ Jim Matthews (The Bicycle Shop) and the always competitive classy Roger Masse (Team CF) on hand, it was visiting professor Finland's Jukka Jokela who came away with a fantastic win. Jokela was quite obviously impressed with the event commenting several times that numbers in the longest distance categories there are similar to the size of these US events and it is the shorter distance categories at those events that make the fields seem so large.

And, unlike marathon style events in Europe, "You actually have to ride the singletrack here not just go up or down on it. This is much more intense than Alpine courses. The course was great fun, fantastic, a really nice mix. This is much more of a family feel here too." Jokela's bike was an unusual, or at least Euro build, with the Arctos hydraulic shifting group and a set of tubulars his choice.

As evidence of what world class events can mean to a place, it was due to the chance to work in a world renowned facility coupled with the long running reputation of the 101 and worldwide coverage of the Trans-Sylvania Epic that made Penn State University Jokelas' first choice for his short term position. Jokela said, "The Trans-Sylvania Epic is highly visible in Europe. It shows all the great trails here. I knew riding [here] was good. That is part of why I wanted to come here." It just so happens that he calls Barclay and Ferrari office mates as well - which likely makes lunch rides something to behold.

Thirteen-time W101 racer Rich Straub (Stan's NoTubes) took home his second consecutive victory in the Clydesdale competition though he has promised his new bride Barclay that he will not qualify for the Clydesdale field in 2014.

Purple Lizard Maps, in conjunction with the launch of their new Bald Eagle forest map, launched the first annual DFL trophy which was awarded to Richard Long (Long's Cycles) in a time of 14:36:29. And all of the category champions are the owners of course records on the new old school Wilderness 101.

NUE Standings

Tanguy movee into the lead for the NUE Series with this win at W101. Pflug recorded his fifth win of the season and is in the driver's seat although AJ Linnell, with wins at Pierre's Hole next Sat and Park City P2P, could force a tie breaker at Fool's Gold. David Jolin continues to lead the masters and will be at Pierre's Hole. Cheryl Sornson leads all women and currently appears unstoppable.